~The One that Called You Brother~
By: Kaytee Kudo
Chapter 2----My Brother's Brother
Kaihan led him to the tree where he had left Amiboshi a long time ago. He was still shocked that his brother already had a girlfriend.
"That was Hime ne-chan. Nii-chan met her when he was studying at the city school," Kaihan informed the still-blushing Suboshi.
"I think you should know that they're going to get married next week," Kaihan continued.
"Hien?!" Suboshi was surprised at the news. He was already devastated when he had found out that his brother has a new brother, and now, he discovered that his brother would get married soon. Thoughts were fleeting in his mind as the young boy continued.
"Didn't you know that when you came to that place? You know, the office where you met my brother? That was the church office, and they are preparing it for my brother's wedding." Suboshi was already deep in his thoughts.
"So, that's why the room was decorated with flowers. Aniki is going to get married!" Holding his head, he tried to cry but he couldn't.
"When I think about it, I feel kinda lonely. Nii-chan is the only family I have and he's going to be taken away from me. But I couldn't get angry at Hime ne-chan because if I do, Nii-chan would be sad."
Suboshi looked at the boy. He could see that the young boy looked very sad.
"Where are your parents?" Suboshi asked.
"Oh, they're dead," Kaihan said, smiling at him.
"G-gomen..."
"That's okay, Suboshi nii-chan. My mother died giving birth to me. My father died when I was just three. Kaika nii-chan took care of me since then."
"I-I see." Suboshi looked at the boy with more dignity than before. Come to think of it, he and Kaihan had a lot of things in common, just like what his aniki had said.
"Are you going to be okay if your brother marries?"
"Well, I couldn't do anything else but live with my brother now. But I'll turn nine next month, and I'll work hard for him so that I can help him. I'll do everything for my nii-chan!" Kaihan replied proudly, as Suboshi remained amazed at the boy before him. Silence continued as Kaihan started again.
"Ne, Suboshi nii-chan, are you really my brother's brother?"
Suboshi looked at the young boy.
"Umm, well... it's because, you look a lot like him."
Suboshi smiled and nodded. "Hai."
"Then...that means..." Suboshi sighed. At last, the boy would know the whole truth.
"That means that you're my brother too!" was the unexpected answer. Suboshi couldn't say anything.
"Isn't that right?" Kaihan continued, smiling. The boy looked really innocent, thought Suboshi. But it's time to tell the truth, he thought. Before he could say anything, the boy continued.
"I've always wanted a new brother. I love my nii-chan, but because he works so hard for me, he doesn't have much time to play. Having another brother would be cooler."
Suboshi was taken aback. He had forgotten what he was about to say. All he could do was laugh.
"Can I ask you something, Suboshi nii-chan?" Kaika asked, interrupting Suboshi's laughter.
"What is it?"
"Is my brother...um, well...you know, a...S-seiryuu seishi too?" He blurted out nervously.
Suboshi smiled at him. "What makes you say that?"
"Well, because...back then, when you first came...you called him 'Amiboshi'"
"Did I?"
"Yes! I was surprised then, but I thought that it could be true. You know, my brother is the coolest person here!"
Suboshi couldn't help but smile at the praise the boy had been giving his aniki and answered, "Yes he is."
Hearing this, the boy jumped for joy.
"Wow! That means I have two seishi brothers!
"
They both laughed. Suboshi enjoyed being with this boy.
""Ne, Suboshi nii-chan. Tell me about my brother."
"Okay." Suboshi told him everything he knew. He was really good at telling stories, especially about his brother. He told him about how Amiboshi took care of him, how cool he fights, how good he plays the flute, almost everything except about how he had left him there, for he knew that the boy would find out that Amiboshi was not really his brother, and he didn't want to see the young boy's heart to be broken like that. But it was also the boy who had forced him to tell the whole truth.
"Suboshi nii-chan,"
"Yes?"
"I've got something to tell you too."
"Huh?" Suboshi turned to look at the boy's face. It had became sad and his eyes were deep.
"I know it's wrong, but I've been lying to you all along."
Suboshi just stared at him. "I'm listening."
"The truth is, I'm not really Kaika nii-chan's brother."
Suboshi was not at all surprised. He had already knew this the whole time, but in a different way. He wanted to be sure.
"Huh? Why?"
"Well, his parents were not my parents. Kaika nii-chan's father told me a long time ago before he died that my real parents were killed by the war of Kotou and Konan." Suboshi felt guilty about this. He had participated in that war, and thought that he could have killed tha boy's parents. He had killed many people that time.
"Kaika nii-chan already knew of this, but he still took care of me and treated me as his little brother. That's why I love him very much."
Suboshi smiled at him.
"I haven't been truthful to you too. Please forgive me for lying."
"That's okay, nii-chan."
"Kaika, no, Amiboshi. Amiboshi's and my parents died in a civil war when we were nine. I was so weak then. But he took care of me without anything in return. I also love him because of that."
"It was me who left him to the old couple who had also adopted you, so that he could live in peace, and forget about me." He continued.
"The couple was really nice then." Kaihan said.
"I guess they were" Suboshi stood up.
"But not as nice as you, Suboshi nii-chan!" Kaihan followed, hugging Suboshi tight. Suboshi hugged back. It had been a long time since someone hugged him, and it felt great.
"It was a noble act to give your brother to the elderly couple for his sake, and suffer in return. I don't think I can do that."
It was the first time a person ever praised Suboshi for his acts. His heart lightened and realized that he liked the boy, for he was like him in many ways.
"But I'll try, Suboshi nii-chan."
"Let's both try then."
They smiled and decided to go back to the village and accept Hime as Amiboshi's wife.
"Suboshi nii-chan"
"Hmm?"
"What does your parent's call Kaika nii-chan?"
"They called him Koutoku."
"That's a really nice name."
"Yeah, but not as nice as yours though."
They both laughed and raced towards their home. Suboshi found his heart again. From now on, the two boys would call themselves 'brothers'.
~END~
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